3. Eusebius informs us, that' Constantine, when possessed of the whole empire, (which could not be before the year 324, and after Licinius was subdued,) sent letters to all the provinces, written in Greek and Latin, acknowledging the goodness of God to him, and ascribing his successes to the favour of divine providence. Now the provinces of the east became equally sensible of the emperor's favour and goodness, with the provinces of the west. Our ecclesiastical historian has left us a copy of Constantine's edict, sent particularly to the people of the province of Palestine, the original of which was in his own possession. Herein the emperor restores those who had been banished or proscribed or confined in islands, or who had been condemned to the mines or any other public works. It is herein ordained, that christians, who had been deprived of any military posts, may resume them, or betake themselves to any other kind of life they choose, and therein enjoy repose and honour. They who had been condemned to slavery in the public works, are restored to freedom, and to all the honours which before they were entitled to. All goods, and lands, and houses, which had been confiscated, are to be restored to the original possessors or proprietors: or, if they were dead, whether martyrs or confessors, to their heirs and successors. If such, who had been deprived of their rights, have no relations left, the church of the place where they had lived is to be their heir, and succeed to them. All these things, whether lands, houses, gardens, or country seats, are to be restored, but not the mean profits. This law of restitution is to be understood to relate to public treasury, as well as to other possessors. And besides this, the cemeteries are to be restored to the several churches to which they had belonged. All which things, as the historian assures us, were performed and executed, according to the tenor of this law.

After this, as the historian farther assures us, Constantine gave the government of the provinces chiefly to christians: and when any Gentiles were made governors, they were prohibited to sacrifice: which law comprehended not only presidents of provinces, but also higher officers, and even the pretorian prefects. If they were christians, they were required to act according to their principles: if they were otherwise disposed, yet the practice of idolatrous rites was forbidden.

Afterwards there were published two laws at the same

1 Vit. Const. l. ii. c. 23. n Ib. c. 43.

• Ib. c. 44.

m Ib. c. 24-42.

P C. 45, 46.

time, one forbidding the detestable rites of idolatry, of old time used in cities and villages; wherein it was enacted, that for the future none should erect statues of gods, or practise divination, or offer any sacrifice. The other law was for enlarging christian oratories and churches, or for rebuilding them more lofty, grand, and splendid.

Moreover, the emperor still making progress in piety, wrote an Oration against idolatry; which was sent to the several provinces of the empire, both in the east and the west. In this Oration Constantine says, that during the late persecution the barbarians received and entertained kindly the christians that fled to them, and allowed them the liberty to worship God according to their own sentiments; which he says was a reproach upon the Roman name, in that barbarians were more merciful than they. In another part of the Oration he expresseth his desire, that the Gentiles, who are in error, may enjoy the same peace and quiet with believers, as being conducive to the bringing them into the right way. Let every one do, says he, what his soul desires. He wishes that all were unanimous in the truth, and in obedience to God's holy laws: nevertheless, if any dissent, and withdraw themselves, let them have their temples of lies, since they chose them.

Such is that Oration: and Eusebius assures us, that" the emperor would sit up whole nights, employing himself in study and meditation, for improving his own mind, and composing Orations, which he afterwards spoke in numerous assemblies.

4. After this Oration, Eusebius gives an account of some differences and controversies among the christians themselves, which occasioned the calling of the council of Nice in 325, where Constantine was present.

5. We have also an account in Eusebius of several churches built by Constantine's order, and at the public expense; as the churches at Bethlehem, and mount Olivet, and the church of the Sepulchre, called also Anastasis or

4 C. 47-60.

TC. 53.

Όμοιαν τοις πιςευεσιν οἱ πλανώμενοι χαιροντες λαμβανετωσαν ειρηνης τε και ήσυχιας απολαυσιν. Αυτη γαρ ή της κοινωνίας επανορθωσις, και προς ευθειαν αγαγειν όδον ισχύει· Μηδεις τον έτερον παρενοχλειτω· έκατος, ὑπὲρ ἡ ψυχη βέλεται, τότο και πραττετω. ib. c. 46.

· Οἱ δ' εαυτες αφέλκοντες, εχοντων βελόμενοι τα της ψευδολογίας τεμενη. ibid. u De V. C. l. iv. c. 29. in. ▾ Ib. c. 61-73.

Vid. de V. C. 1. iii. c. 25-43.

* That by the Martyrion, or church of the Sepulchre, and Anastasis, are to be understood one and the same building, see Vales. ad. 1. iv. De V. C. c.

the church of the Resurrection at Jerusalem. Which last was very magnificent, and was solemnly consecrated by Constantine's special order, in the year 335.

Eusebius does indeed in one place say, that' Helena built two churches at Bethlehem, the place of our Saviour's nativity; the other at mount Olivet, the place of his ascension. But the meaning is no more than what is said by him, just before, that Constantine let her have the honour of founding or building those churches.

Nevertheless, Socrates and some other ancient writers ascribe to Helena the building of all the three fore-mentioned churches or temples in Palestine. But it must be better, I think, to rely upon Eusebius himself, with whom also Sozomen agrees entirely. Besides, Helena was in that country but a very short time: she could not go thither before Constantine's conquest of Licinius in 324. According to the course of Eusebius's narration, this journey of Helena was undertaken after the Council of Nice, which was held in 325, and when she was of a great age; as is particularly observed by Theodoret. And according to all accounts, she died at Rome, or near it, in 326, or soon after.

6. It is well known likewise, that Helena is said to have found at Jerusalem the real cross on which our Saviour suffered. This is related by several writers of the fourth and fifth centuries; but with so many different circumstances, as to render the whole story doubtful. And, which is very material, there is nothing said of it in Eusebius: his silence is the more remarkable, because he has with great particularity related the clearing of the ground about the sepulchre, and expatiates very much in his account of the temple there built by Constantine. As the silence of Eusebius is alone satisfactory upon this head, I forbear to confute at large the common accounts of the invention of the cross; and only refer to a few authors, whof seem to me to have made good observations upon them.

y De V. C. l. iv. c. 42-45.

-δυο νεως αφιερω" τον μεν προς τῳ της γενέσεως αντρῳ τον δ' επι

το της αναληψεως όρους. De V. C. l. iii. c. 43. in.

a

της μητρος -διαιωνίζων την μνημην. ib. c. 41.

b Socr. l. i. c. 17.

• Εν μέρει δε και Ελενη ἡ αυτε μητηρ

δυο ναες ῳκοδομησε, κ. λ. Soz. l. i. c. 2. in.

d

Αυτή των της οδοιπορίας πονων ανασχομενη, και το γηρως • λογισάμενη τα παθη προ γαρ ολιγε της τελευτης αποδημίαν ταυτην εξείλατο, ογδοηκοντετης δε τε βις το τερμα κατειληφεν. Η. E. I. i. c. 18. in.

e Vid. de V. C. l. iii. c. 26, &c.

f Vid. Basnag. Ann. 326. n. ix. x. Jacob Gothofredi Notæ seu Dissertationes in Philostorg. c. 14. p. 388, &c. Witsii Miscellan. T. ii. Exercita xii.

Montfaucon pleased himself with the thought, that in the Commentary upon the Psalms published by him, Eusebius had referred to the miracles, said by Rufinus, Sozomen, and others, to have been done at Christ's sepulchre, when Helena was at Jerusalem. But I humbly conceive, that there is no ground for that supposition: Eusebius says no more in his Commentary upon the Psalms, than he had done in the Life of Constantine. The finding, after so long a space of time, the sepulchre of our Saviour, which had been hid by rubbish, and by buildings placed over it by the heathens, the raising a magnificent temple upon the spot by the order of an emperor, the journey of Helena to Jerusalem, the great concourse of people there, and the other things, appeared to him wonderful facts, that exhibited to the world a proof of Christ's death and resurrection, as related by the evangelists, and foretold by the prophets. Valesius understood our author in this manner: and it was very natural for the christians of that time, who had been witnesses of the sufferings of their brethren, and of the extreme contempt cast upon every thing that bore the name of Jesus, or belonged to him, to behold these alterations with astonishment. The fault was that they were not only surprized at them, but were too much pleased with the external peace, splendour, and prosperity of the church.

These are thoughts which offered themselves to me, upon reading Eusebius's Commentary, and Montfauçon's remarks. I have since had the pleasure of seeing Wesselingius's observations upon this matter, in his notes upon the Itinera

p. 361-369. Chamier. Panstrat. 1. xxii. c. 4. Le Clerc. Bibl. Ancien. et Mod. T. xvi. p. 112, &c.

De miraculis in Sepulchro et Martyrio Christi editis ne verbum quidem habet Eusebius in Vità Constantini: etsi detectum, curante Helena, Sepulcrum et Martyrium memoret-verum hic de miraculis agi quæ a Rufino, Sulpitio Severo, Socrate-recensentur, ne ambigas. Mont. Prælim. in Euseb. Comm. in Ps. p. 8.

h Ει δε τις τον νεν επισήσειε τοις καθ' ήμας αμφι το μνημα, και το μαρτυριον το σωτηρος ήμων επιτελεσθεισι θαυμασίοις, αληθως είσεται όπως πεπλήρωται Eρyou tа TEDEσtioμeva. Euseb. Comm. in Ps. 87. p. 545. B.

-αυτο δε λοιπον το σεμνον και πανάγιον της σωτηριο ανατάσεως μαρτύριον παρ' ελπιδα πασαν ανεφαίνετο και τοτε--αντρον-διο μετα την εν σκοτῳ καταδύσιν, αυθις επι το φως προῄει, και τοις επι θεαν αφικνεμένοις εναργή παρειχεν δραν των αυτόθι πεπραγμένων θαυμάτων την ἱστορίαν· ἔργοις άπασης γεγωνότερος φωνης την τε σωτηρος αναςασιν μαρτυρεμενον. De V. C. l. iii. c. 28. Vid. et c. 29, 30. et 26.

* Est autem hic hujus loci sensus: illam Domini sepulchri post tot secula restitutionem, re ipsâ confirmâsse resurrectionem Domini nostri. Vales. ad Euseb. De V. C. 1. iii. c. 28.

Et quî possunt ea hoc loco intelligi? Loquitur de rebus stupendis, quæ ad Christi sepulchrum et martyrium suâ ætate contigerunt. Atqui Martyrium VOL. IV.

D

rium Hierosolymitanum: who, I think, has well confuted Montfauçon's argument; and has some thoughts not very m different from those already insisted on by me. And moreover observes not only the silence of Eusebius before insisted on, but also the silence of Constantine in his letter to Macarius bishop of Jerusalem, recommending to him the care of erecting the designed temple, and the silence of the author of the Itinerary, who seems to have written in the latter part of the reign of Constantine.

7. Though Constantine expressed himself with so much mildness in the Oration before taken notice of, yet certainly he did not intend to leave the temples to the heathen people, and let them enjoy their worship there. This is inconsistent with some things already transcribed, in the order in which they are mentioned by Eusebius.

And afterwards, comparing Constantine with other emperors, he says: They commanded the temples to be magnificently adorned: he demolished them to the foundation, especially such as were most respected by superstitious people. Moreover Constantine made very free with the statues of the gods, taking them out of the temples, and placing them in the forum, and other parts of the city of Constantinople: thereby serving, as the historian says, two ends, both adorning the city, and exposing to contempt those gods whose images they were. And many rich statues of the gods, consisting of gold and silver, were melted down by him.

Our historian has also left us a particular account of the demolishing several heathen temples by Constantine's order, beside the depriving many others of their richest and most illud nusquam erat, cum ea fierunt, quæ evenisse Sulpitius atque alii prodiderunt, &c. Pet. Wesseling. Annot. ad Itinerar. Hieros. p. 593, 594.

m

Ecquid magis mirabile et stupendum Judæis ac paganis esse poterat, quam Augusti matrem, ejusque exemplum imitatos plures, ad vilem antea et despectum eum locum, ut Christo Domino meritum honorem haberent, confluere; mirificis operibus illum exornari; quod quam admirandum utrisque fuerit, ex Orat. de Laudibus Constantin. p. 633, colligas. Id. p. 594.

Quam rem et Constantini imp. in ep. ad Macarium, et Eusebii, in his locis et gestis recensendis versati, silentium adfirmat. ib. p. 593.

• Id vero maximopere demiror, nullam hic de cruce, Helenæ auspiciis inventâ, nec ullam de stupendis operibus, ejus virtute et contactu patratis, fieri mentionem. Dicemusne præterire ea scriptorem, qui summâ diligentiâ rumusculos, de locis Hierosolymitanis in vulgus sparsos, collegit?- -præsertim cum paucissimis ante ejus in urbem Hierosolymitanam adventum annis facta ferantur. Mihi nihil aliud dici posse videtur, quam ea miracula, et quæ illis arctissime cohærent, in urbe eo tempore nondum fuisse audita. ib. p. 593. • Οἱ μὲν τις νεως φιλοτίμως κοσμειν εκέλευον ο δε εκ βάθρων καθῄρει τετων αυτών, τα μαλιτα παρα τους δεισιδαίμοσι πολλά αξια. V. C. 1. iii. c. 1. p. 483. B. 4 Ib. l. iii. c. 54.